Aviat served on two occasions as the Superior General for her order though in the interim period between the two terms had to grapple with the disrespect on the part of her two immediate successors.

While attending the school, she was taught – and received spiritual guidance – from Marie de Sales Chappuis (the superior) and the chaplain Louis Brisson.

This vocation solidified further when she visited one of the factories where glasses were made and repaired in Sézanne: the sight of the workman doing their jobs under their supervisor inspired her to be with them to counsel and guide them towards God while affirming the importance of their work.

Brisson was concerned for the men and women who had moved from the rural areas to the industrialized cities to find work in factories and textile mills.

On 30 October 1868 – with Caneut (who became Jeanne-Marie) – she received the habit of the new congregation from Bishop Gaspard Mermillod, along with the religious name Françoise de Sales.

In 1881 this Superior General resigned after a tenure mired with complications and the new one, Louise-Eugenie, sent Aviat to the French capital of Paris to run a boarding school at Rue de Vaugirad.

Aviat turned to find she was alone in her room, and the next morning she was re-elected as Superior General, She understood this as a sign that Jesus Christ wanted to govern the order through her.

On 11 April 1904 – in preparation of this – she and the other religious transferred their motherhouse to Perugia in Italy to escape the anti-clericalism and remain active, despite not knowing Italian.

[5] The canonization miracle concerned the cure of Bernadette McKenzie (aged fifteen) from Drexel Hill, PA in the United States of America from paralyzing spinal disease.

[7] In Manta in Ecuador the Unidad Educativa Leonie Aviat was created after the order merged the two institutions Santa Esperanza School No.